


A Ghost in Space

by AmyMc1D



Category: Danny Phantom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Mild Language, brief mention of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-27
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 13:04:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10465677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyMc1D/pseuds/AmyMc1D
Summary: There are four members going on the Kerberos Mission. One of whom just so happens to be half ghost.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! So this is the first fic that I've published. I noticed that no one had posted a Danny/Voltron fic, so I thought "why not me". So that's what I did :)  
> disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or Voltron: Legendary Defender

Footsteps echoed off the wide crowded halls of the Galaxy Garrison. Excited chatter could be heard bouncing down the hall. A group of cadets making their way from the dining hall towards their living quarters talking loudly and animatedly. Waving a few friends goodbye as they separated themselves form them in favour of leaving early. One of the boys spoke once they were far enough down the corridor. 

“You’re dream of being a real astronaut is finally coming true. You excited dude?” Tucker said, glancing over at Danny who was practically jumping off the wall. The bright fluorescent lights shining down on them making it look like he was glowing. Or perhaps he truly was glowing. His ghostly aura did that sometimes when he was particularly excited.

“Yes! I’ve been waiting for something like this my whole life.” Danny turned to look at his friends with stars in his eyes. He faltered a bit before speaking again. “But I can’t just leave Amity for that long.” Yes, he had been attending the Garrison for over two years now, but he still couldn’t up and leave the planet just so he could go to space. He had responsibilities. He had a town to protect. He felt guilty leaving it to fend for itself. 

Sam sighed, glancing at Tucker with an exasperated look. “Danny, we’ve been over this a million times.” She said as her eyes landed back on Danny. “Danielle is there. She’s got it covered. She’s 17, give her the benefit of the doubt. And besides, if anything really bad happens, Valerie can always go back.” She had a point. She was a good friend to them. Besides, she had as much reason to want to rid Amity Park of ghost as he did. 

“Speak of the devil.” Tucker said with a grin as he saw Valerie approach them from the other end of the intersecting hallway waving at them. When she caught up and exchanged quick greetings, they continued down the hallway in quieter tones, so as to not bring attention to themselves. The circulation was thinning out as people were still milling around the rest of the compound rather then going to the dormitories early like they were doing. 

“Sam’s right you know.” Valerie said patting Danny on the shoulder. “I wouldn’t just let a ghost terrorize Amity. You’re not the only one capable of stopping a ghost Danny. Besides, I can get there quickly with my hover bored.” She had a point. Ever since she confronted him about being the ghost boy, she’s been a big help. Sure, it took her a while to come to termed with every thing. And she apologized profusely for hunting him. “Water under the bridge” he had told her. So now he could always count on her help if he need it.

He sighed in defeat and recognition. “I know. You’re right.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m just not used to being that far for home for this long. At least while I’m at the Garrison I could just fly back if anything got out of hand.” He looked down sheepishly at his shoes.

“Hey man,” Tucker spoke up in a cheery voice, the sound bouncing off the now empty hallway. “if there really is a problem, we could always go find Wulf or something. I’m sure he would love to help out.” He swung an arm around his best friend’s shoulder. “And its not like Dani is alone to begin with. She’s got Cujo.” A slight frown passed over Valerie’s face as she remembered the small dog. 

“We’ve talked about this Valerie,” Sam sighed, bringing back the attention of the other ghost hunter.

At the expression on her face, Danny sighed “It wasn’t his fault. Or mine for that matter!” Danny turned to face her fully, keeping pace with her. Leaving the comforting arm of his friend. “I thought we were good, Val.” 

“We are. I forgave you already.” She said with a small smirk when she saw the look on his face at the implied blame. “That doesn’t mean that I have to like dogs. I still don’t think that I will ever actually like dogs after all that.” 

Tucker gasped loudly. “How could you say that! Dogs are the best.” He turned to Sam for back up. She raised an eyebrow as if to say that this wasn’t her fight. Tucker sighed but turned back to Valerie when she spoke.

“I think I’m going to have to disagree with you there, Tucker. Cats are better. They’re so much less of a hassle.” Valerie grinned at him. Sam gave a little chuckle at the look she sent Danny as if she were implying that he too was more trouble then he was worth. 

“I’m going to agree with Valerie here.” A new voice broke into their conversation. 

All four of them spun around. Danny and Valerie very subtly taking defensive stances. Shifting their weight to get a lower center of gravity. Ready to defend themselves and their friends if need be. Sam and Tucker, who now stood in front of them, quickly positioned themselves to be able to reached for small concealed modified Fenton weapons in the many pockets of their Garrison uniforms. Fighting ghost for five years gave all of them good fight or flight reflexes. The new comer laughed at the surprise on their faces. A quiet sigh passed over the four before lightly dropping their defenses. 

“Jeez Keith. You scared me half to death.” Danny said, a glint in he eyes as his friends laughed. The silent joke passing over Keith’s head. He removed himself form the wall he was leaning on next to the vending machine to walk the small distance over to them. 

“So, Danny, how are you feeling about the Kerberos mission tomorrow?” Keith asked. “I know Shiro’s really looking forward to it.” They continued walking down the hall toward the dormitories. The light coming back to illuminate his face. He then started rambling on about how he was looking forward to going to space and seeing the stars.  
“I was talking to Matt and he was telling me about how he had mapped stars and knows all the constellations and we were comparing our star maps and he said he could name all star systems and” 

He went on in a single breath. Not stopping as he continued to list things he and Matt did that morning. Keith looked over at Sam, Tucker and Valerie in amazement that Danny was still going. He was starting to regret asking in the first place. He knew Shiro was looking forward to it, but he didn’t remember his brother even droning on like Danny was doing. 

“and he was going to bring a list of songs he wants us to listen too and Dr. Holt told us” 

“Danny!” Sam said laughing. “You might want to remember to breath.”

A look of actual surprise passed over his face as he took a breath. As though he had actually forgotten to breath. “haha right, thanks Sam.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I was rambling, wasn’t I?” 

“You were man. But it’s understandable. You’re excited.” Tucker snickered. “Who wouldn’t be if they got the opportunity to go to Kerberos. And to help with Dr. Holt’s research no less.” 

The group continued down the corridor and stopped in front of Danny and Tucker’s room. “I need to get some semblance of rest before I have to wake up early tomorrow. I’ll see you all at the launch pad before liftoff, yeah?” 

“Wouldn’t miss it.” Valerie grinned. 

“You think I would miss out on your big day? Who do you take me for?” Sam hit him lightly on the arm, smile on her lips. 

“I wouldn’t miss it even if I tried. Shiro would come and drag me there if I overslept for even a minute.” Keith shook his head with a fond smile. 

“You better not wake me up until a minute before you have to leave.” Tucker pointed and accusatory finger at Danny’s face. They all laughed. 

This is what Danny was going to miss. Sure, he got along great with Shiro and Matt, he got to know them well over the last two semesters when they were picked for the mission. But he would never be as close as he was with is friends he made back in Amity Park. Tucker had been with him since preschool. He would always be his best friend and would never be replaced. They had shared everything. There were never any secrets between them and he would do anything for him. For all his friends, for that matter. It was kind of his obsession after all. 

Then there was Sam. She was one of the best thing to happen in his life. They didn’t know etch other for as long as he and Tuck, but they were just as close. She came into his life without warning and he has been on an adventure ever since. She was the reason he had his ghost powers in the first place. It was also the girl he had had a crush on for forever. And now they were happily together. They didn’t go on the typical dates like a “normal” couple would, but they always found extra time to spend together. Just content to be in etch others presence. 

And then there was Valerie. They had had a very rocky start, as one would expect form teenagers who were obsessed with clicks and social ranking and it took a while for everything to fall into place. They had dated for a bit and they both had a good time. But, alas, their life, secret and public, made it take an unfortunate end. And after the hole affair with Danielle, she had taken some time off as the Red Huntress. One day, she came up to Danny furious and demanding answers. She was smart and had figured it out about a week and a half after the events but waited another week before she had her mind wrapped around the idea enough to confront him. She reasonably felt very bad about having hunted him - her fellow classmate and ex-boyfriend - but she was mad that he hadn’t told her. It took some time to calm her down and explain, but she had finally come around. And it was relatively smooth sailing from there. They now had a new member of team Phantom, and they could tag team in the air. She and Dani got along great, so that was a bonus as well. 

Then there were the friends he made at the Garrison. He got along with a lot of people here and made a lot of friends. None of them would be as tightknit as he and his Amity group was, but they were still on good terms. Like Keith, Shiro and Matt. He loved spending time with them after finding out he was chosen for the mission coming up at the end of the year, and would often spend long nights playing card games all together in one of their room until they were caught. The seven of them would often try to out do themselves on who could stay up latest hiding from Iverson and the night guards. Danny always seemed to win to the amazement of three and the frustration of the other three. They would also sneak into the kitchens and bring back food for group sleepovers. Some of them would sometimes go for a quick outing to the desert outside of the compound just to get away from all the hustle and bustle that was the Garrison. 

This is what Danny would miss. The late nights and group outings. He would miss his friends he would be leaving on earth. He would miss seeing them every day. The way they would make fun of the professors they didn’t like. Cough Iverson cough. If he was honest with himself, he would also miss the ghost that would sometimes come visit him all the way out here. His friends and enemies. He would miss his girlfriend and his best friend. The majority of his new friends would be coming with him, but he would miss Keith.

So, with a final wave, they bid etch other good night and when their separate ways. Understandably, Danny and Tucker did not go to sleep until the early hours of the morning.  
\-----------------------  
*on Kerberos* 

Danny, Matt, Shiro and Dr. Sam Holt stood around the ice extractor. 

"Easy, son. This ice is delicate." Sam warned. 

"Amazing. Isn't this exciting, Shiro, Danny?" Matt look at them with enthusiasm, his eyes gleaming. 

"You guys get a little more excited about ice samples than I do." Shiro admitted with a fond smile. Danny laughed at his expression. He, too, didn’t get as excited about the samples as the two Holt men but still loved the way they talked animatedly about the research all the way out. He was already used to hearing his parents talk endlessly about ghost and their new inventions. It was comforting to Danny that he was surrounded but people who loved what they did just as much as his patents did. 

"This is history in the making. Not only have we traveled farther than any human ever has, but this ice cold holy microscopic clues about the existence of life outside Earth." Sam explained. He was smiling from ear to ear. Danny was happy to be the one chosen to accompany the professor’s team for his research. 

"Think of it, Dad. We could use those clues to become the first people to meet aliens."

"My life's work would be complete."

The moment of joy came to an abrupt end as the ground beneath their feet began to shake. They all looked around them to see what was happening. "What is that? Seismic activity?" Sam wondered. 

“Maybe. But I don’t like this.” Danny said as his gaze traveled the surface of the planet. Years of relying on his instinct told him that he should be weary of what may happen next. 

"We should get back to the ship." The ever wise Shiro insisted. Danny nodded his agreement. 

No sooner had he said this, did a large purple, what Danny could only think to describe as, battleship, appeared over them. It was massive. So enormous that they could only see the front of it looming over their heads. 

"Wha—? What is that?! It can't be..." Sam exclaimed in both horror and excitement. 

"Run! Come on, run!" Shiro shouted at his team. Danny turned to face the space craft as his friends ran away and dropped into a defensive stance. Shiro noticed his absence after a few steps and turned to face his friend who still stood next to the ice samples.

“Danny! What are you doing? Run!” he was about to run back to get him, but couldn’t take a step before a laser like beam was shot in their direction. 

“Go! I’ll hold them off!” Danny yelled back. And, without a second thought, when ghost. The white rings wash over him and reveals his jumpsuit. His hair turned white and eyes green. Over the years, he had decided to experiment with different looks until he found one he had liked. It was essentially the same design, but his boots and gloves had green trims. He had also attached the Fenton thermos to his wrists for easy access. His utility belt also had more pockets and pouches for more weapons. He had also added more silver to his torso and chest. 

Danny through up a shield to protect his friends form the blast. The laser, however, was stronger than he had anticipated and Danny has to strain to keep it up. When it finally passed, he turned to his dumbfounded friends and shouted to them to get back to the ship. Sam being the first to get his bearings, grabbed his son and Shiro before dragging them back to where their craft was. Danny nodded and flew up to face to ship, firing a barrage of ectoblasts. His attempts where in vain, however, for he did not know the enemy he was facing. He was pushed back by another shot from their blast cannon and crashed near his retreating team. Everything went black.  
\-----------------------

Shiro blinked his eyes open, panic stuck him as he took in his surroundings. He was in a strange ship like setting. He couldn’t get a good view from his vantage point on the ground. He looked to hid right and found two figures lying next to him. Looked to his left found only soldiers standing nearby. Someone was missing, but he couldn’t tell who it was because their helmets were still on. A voice grabbed his attention. 

"Emperor Zarkon, we were scouting system X-9-Y as ordered when we found these primitive scientists. I don't think they know anything useful." He was purple. He was talking to someone on a screen that spanned the length of the deck they were currently on. “We did however get some resistance form one of the life forms. He is currently in a detainment facility. We do not know the extent of his power. However, from what we can tell, his quintessence id like nothing we have ever seen before.” 

The man, if he could be considered a man, on the screen spoke. "Take them back to the main fleet for interrogation. The Druids will find out what they know. And they will take care of this interesting being.”

Terror overtook Shiro as he processed what he said. "Please, we come from a peaceful planet! W-We mean you no harm! He was only defending us!" Shiro was hit in the head and he lost consciousness for a moment. 

He regained a bit if his bearing as he was being dragged down a hallway. The wall was lined with what he assumed were cells with prisoners. He could hear a few comments of new prisoners and how they looked like the glowing one, coming from around him. As he passed, he could see the white glow coming from one of the cells. His frazzled mind vaguely wondered what it was. His gaze turned to look out a window and that is when panic truly started to sink in.  
\-----------------------  
*Back on Earth*

“We are sad to announce that we have lost contact with the ship that was sent on the Kerberos mission at the end of the last school year. We have found no traces of survivors and all indications point to a piloting error.” The school was gathered in the large mess hall of the Galaxy Garrison for an important announcement. 

Chatter erupted in the room as people gossiped about the new information. A lot of outrage could be heard throughout the room, some stood in silence and others looked on, stunned. Four kinds in particular looked shell-shocked. Sam, Tucker, Valerie and Keith stood unmoving as the volume continued to rise. 

Sam was the first to get her wits about, joining in the shouting. “What the hell! That’s ridiculous!” Anger marred her face as she fumed. This brought the others out of their stupor.

“That can’t be right,” Keith mumbled to himself, loud enough for his friends to hear him. Shiro was the best pilot the Garrison had ever seen. There was no way it was a piloting error. 

At Sam’s outburst, Tucker had whipped out his phone proceeded to hack into the Garrison database in hopes of finding anything. The fire wall was pretty secure however. “I’m going to need to get to one of their computers for better access to figure out what really happens. There is absolutely no way this is what really happened.” Tucker says indignantly. 

“If anyone can find out, it’s you Tuck.” Valerie says looking rather mad that they would insinuate that something went wrong because of Shiro. “There is no way that Danny would let any of them die. It goes against is obsession. He couldn’t even if he tried.” 

Keith was brought out of his train of thoughts at her comment. “Obsession? What are you talking about? That doesn’t make any sense.” How could someone have an obsession like that. He knew that none of the crew that went on the mission would voluntarily let any of them die, but Keith was confused by what she meant when she implied that he couldn’t let them die even if he wanted to. 

Valerie’s face drained of colour slightly at her slipup. Shooting a quick glace at Sam and Tucker before turning back to Keith. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.” She gave a awkward chuckle and quickly changed to topic before he could question something the three of them were clearly keeping from him. “Tuck! We need to find a time to get you to a computer.” 

And that is how, one week later, Sam and Valerie are posted at opposite ends of the long hallway leading to Iverson’s office as lookouts. With Keith posted close to the door for any quick extraction that might need to happen if the instructor happened to come back earlier then normal. They had spent the week observing and noting when and where Iverson went. They had a half hour-long window, but one could never be too careful. 

In his office, tucker set to work on cracking the mainframe to get into the Garrison database. It took him 3 minutes to get in and another 7 to find all the files he needed. He connected his phone and downloaded everything he needed. Deciding that he had enough time, Tucker took the opportunity look through the files as they downloaded to his device. He pulled up the log of the ship. It noted that it had landed perfectly find on the moon of Pluto. There was nothing wrong with the piloting. Other then simple turbulence, it looked to be smooth sailing. It did, however, abruptly stop about a day after they had landed. The ship had vanished form any sensors and no signal could be found. This was all about two weeks ago. 

When everything was on his phone, he looked at how much time he had left, 12 minutes, and decided that he wasn’t going to risk it. He stepped out of the office after exiting out of everything and meeting Keith around the corner. “I got it. Go get Val, I’ll go get Sam. And we’ll meet up in the girls’ room.” Keith nodded and turned down the hall to the left to go let his friend know that Tucker had been successful. Tucker when right to fetch Sam so they could discus what he had found. Nearly running into a small child. she couldn’t be older then 14 and wondered what someone her age was doing in a place like this. 

Mumbling a quick apology, she hurried down the hall. Tucker, on a mission, didn’t give it any more thought. He had to tell his friends what he new.  
\-----------------------  
*In the girls’ dorm room*

After they all looked over the information they had gathered, they all called official bullshit on the “pilot error”. With no evidence of a crash but still no sing of the space craft, they were left at a loss of explanation. Tucker, Sam and Valerie had silently questioned if any of it could have been caused by ghosts, but quickly dismissed the idea as they all agreed that Danny would not have been defeated by some ghost.

Keith didn’t seem to catch this silent conversation passing between the other three occupants of the room. Too preoccupied on trying to understand what had happened. Trying desperately to find an answer to the chaos building up in his mind. 

Suddenly, a subtle beeping could be heard in the room. Valerie looked over to her bag in the corner and reached for it without getting up, stretching across the floor and flopping onto her back after retrieving her phone. She sighed and looked over at Tucker and Sam with a look of defeat. “Dani need me.” 

“Danny? What?” Keith asked. “How can,” 

“No man, Dani with an “I”.” Tucker said waving a hand in the air flippantly. “Danielle, Danny’s cousin.” When Keith gave him a weird look, Sam informed him that it was a family name. 

“What does she need now? I thought she was getting good at handling things herself.” Sam looked back over at Valerie. 

“Not when it’s the Fright Knight” she steeled herself a final breath before getting up. No one answered the confused look that passed over Keith’s face. She smiled at the occupants of the room and picked up her backpack. “I guess I better go. You got me covered Tuck?” 

Tucker, who had already started typing on his computer, gave her a thumbs up and a big grin. “You know I do. As always, your departure is now justified until you make it back.” 

Now Keith was really confused. How many times had she just left? Was she leaving right now? How many times did Tucker just go into the system? And why the hell was Danny’s cousin dealing with someone named Fright Knight. What kind of name was that anyways. Why was Valerie equipped to handle this guy? His thoughts were going a mile a minute before Sam poked his arm with a sly smirk on her lips. “You look like your brain is going to explode. You ok there?” 

He stared at her for a moment before sighing. “I’m too tired for this. I’m going back to my dorm. Ill see you” he pointed at the standing girl, “when you get back. And you two,” eyeing his friends on the ground, “whenever.” A chorus of goodbyes followed him out the door. He was not in the right state of mind to be questioning what they were up too. But little did he know that this would be the last time he would see Valerie. He would not know that she had to stay in Amity Park because the ghost had gotten restless after hearing that the Hafla had supposedly died in space. That Danielle couldn’t keep track of them all on her own and could no longer placate them. He would never know that Danny’s ghost allies would be causing half the problems, destroying things out of frustration. He also did not know that in just a short month, he would be kicked out for the Garrison for discipline issues. He did not know that he would be living out in the middle of nowhere following energy signals that would eventually change his life.  
\-----------------------


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone was still gossiping about the boy that got kicked out of the Garrison a week ago, saying that it was a “discipline issues”, and Sam was seething about it. This was complete and utter bullshit! No one knew what had really happened and she was not putting up with anyone who was talking about it. Snapping at people who tried to even look at her. Tucker was the only one who was aloud anywhere near her without getting his head bit off. 

Their friends were leaving left and right. The three on the Kerberos mission, Valerie, who had to stay in Amity Park because the ghost were running wild after hearing what happened to Danny, and now Keith. This was all Iverson’s fault. He was the one that was provoking Keith when no one else was there. No one except Sam and Tucker. Iverson had once again approached Keith to tell him everything he had been doing wrong in his class, which was barely anything. He was a wonderful student. Yes, he was distant and didn’t make that many friends easily, but that didn’t stop him from being a good student. 

Sam recalled the memory with bitter hatred. 

She and Tucker had been walking down the hall after contacting Valerie for an update on Amity. It had been chaos over the past month, with ghost wreaking havoc left and right. Val and Dani were up to their necks in ghosts, so it was clear she was not coming back anytime soon. When they stumbled onto Iverson looming over Keith berating him for his lack of efforts in class. Tucker’s face morphed into a scowl, not pleased at Iverson’s clear display of unprofessionalism. Sam was not fairing any better. She wanted to walk right up to him and punch him in the face for treating her friend like he was, but restrained herself. She knew better then to do that. But what he had said next made her lose he composure. 

“Can you not pay attention in class because your brother failed his team and you’re taking after him, cadet!” 

Before she could do anything, Tucker through his arms around her to prevent her from lunging at the man. But he could only do so much, as Keith did the exact same think he knew Sam would have done. Keith had tackled, actually tackled, Iverson down to the ground. Yelling colourful profanities at the instructor and demanding him to take back what he had said about his brother. Iverson through him off and stood at his full height, already a full head taller then him, but even more imposing from where Keith was still laying on the ground. 

“Attacking an instructor is warranted for expulsion cadet.” He had said in a sickeningly level voice. 

This is how, a week later, Sam and Tucker were still scowling at everyone’s clear ignorance of what had really happened. They didn’t know where he had gone after being kicked out. They didn’t know if he had anywhere to go to. While packing his few possessions, they tried to offer to have Valerie come back and bring him to Amity, but he had, as politely as he could in his state of outrage, declined the offer and stomped out of his room. He left quickly and they had yet to hear from him, and doubted they would for a while. They had to threaten Valerie not to come back and give Iverson a piece of her mind. 

The two of them would often congress together and lament the separation of all their friends.   
\-----------------------

*Somewhere in space* 

Danny lay in the corner of a cell in dirty rags that barely passed as cloth. The black and dark purple made him blend into the bleak lightless room. He couldn’t remember how long he had been trapped out here in space. It could have been months, maybe years. At this point, he didn’t really care, as long as he could hold out on letting this Haggar witch know how he ran on energy so different and more powerful than anything she had ever seen. When he had first gotten captured on Kerberos, he had tried to fight her. That was a mistake. She had some kind of magic Danny had never seen before. He had lasted 10 minutes tops. He had tried to sneak out on multiple different occasions, but that had simply led to some of her Druids to find him and drag him back to the psychotic witch for punishment. 

He lived out a version of his greatest fears in her hands. Lobotomies and being tortured for answers. The only upside he could give himself, was that it wasn’t because his parents found out he was half ghost. He refused to give her any information. Mostly out of spite, and partially out of desperation that if he could hide how his powers worked, he would eventually find a way to escape. It was also so that this clearly murderous crazy lady didn’t get the secret to more power. The last thing he needed was for her to go back to earth to gather more ectoplasm. What she could do with just the little bits of his energy she managed to contain when they had fought was terrifying. 

Danny spent the majority of his time fighting off going ghost to avoid them being able to study him. Luckily, he had thought to himself, years ago, he had mastered going ghost without his suit. He dreaded what would have happened he Haggar and the Druids had access to his arsenal of a belt. He had hoped that if he stayed human, they would leave him alone for a bit. He was wrong. The Druids would poke and prod at him until he had to go ghost simply to make sure he didn’t bleed to death. This fascinated the witch. She would demand he tell her how a human, a species who could not transform in such a manner, would be able to revert to something that did not even have the same coloured blood. He would spit at her, a look of grim determination on his face, and say that he would never tell her. She would shout out in rage and strike him with the pink lightning that he could not, for whatever life he had left, phase though. 

But when he was alone, on evenings like this, he would graciously embrace the white rings that brought him the needed release of physical pain. They would dump him back into his cell, which the Druids had lined with magic after one too many escape attempts, at the end of the day and leave him there. Sometimes he would be there for a few hours before being brought out for more questioning, and other times, he would be in there for days. This is how he had lost track of time. The food was scars and disgusting, but he was in no position to complain. He was just glad they fed him at all. He assumed it was because they didn’t want him to die. 

Curling in on himself, white hair falling in his eyes, he whispered “This is not how I thought my life would go.” 

He remembered the times back on Earth when he was happy. His friends by his side. When the three of them had surprised him with the news that they would be joining him at the Garrison, he was ecstatic. They already had a good team synergy and now they could keep it going in their simulators. The only problem was that the teams where of three people. As since both Sam and Valerie were pilots, they had to split up. So, that had left Sam as their team’s pilot and Val had had to join a different group. 

Tucker was the coms officer. He was the best at deciphering what all the buttons did. When Danny had tried, he almost sent the simulator crashing. This then left him with engineer, and he loved it. He loved tinkering ever since he had to modify all his parents’ equipment so it wouldn’t kill him accidentally. He fell asleep with these happy thoughts, hoping his friends were ok.  
\-------------------------

*on earth* 

It had been about six months since Keith had been expelled. Sam had stopped glaring at anyone who simply looked at her. She was still livid about what had transpired, but could now control her emotions regarding the event. She and Tucker had not heard from him once and they were a little worried. Valerie hadn’t heard from him either, and she had been the closest to the younger boy. Things had died down a bit back home, but she still couldn’t come back as it was almost the end of the year. 

The two of them were passing the simulator deck watching Iverson yell at the team of cadets. Sour looks gracing their faces as they watched the spectacle. They never liked him before but now they despised him. 

“...Kerberos Mission.” Iverson finished his sentence. 

“That’s not true, sir!” This got their attention. It was the small boy in the middle who had spoken up. 

Tucker glanced at Sam and saw his look of curiosity mirrored back at him. Why would this child, whom Tucker vaguely seemed to recognize, know that the explanation to the mission was false? 

“… discipline issue and flunked out. Don’t follow in his footsteps.” 

Sam let out a frustrated growl the got the attention of everyone bellow. Tucker gently grabbed her arm and dragged her away from prying eyes. But not before he saw the small boy looking at him curiously. Tucker lingered a moment, keeping eye contact with him for a few more second before guiding Sam to their next class.   
\-----------------------

Sam and Tucker sat across one another on Sam’s bad. She had the room to herself ever since Valerie had left. Tucker wasn’t as lucky. He was given a new roommate when the new school year had started since Danny had still been up in space. The rest of the day had pass at a sluggish pace. When they entered her room, they had collapsed and stayed there for a good ten minutes before Sam broke the silence. 

“How do you think that boy knew about the Kerberos Mission?” she sat up to look at him. 

Tucker took a moment to straiten himself on the bed before glancing as her. “I don’t think they’re a him…” At Sam’s questioning gaze, he chuckled. “You didn’t recognize them, did you?”

Sam scrunched her face in thought. Her brows creasing together trying to recall the younger looking kid. Saving her the trouble of having to remember what they even looked like, he gave her a hint. “They looked like Matt…” 

Her gaze drifted off to the side as she though about the child. A light sparked in her eyes as the pieces fell into place. Snapping her head back to Tucker, she asked “Are you sure? Can’t it just be someone who looks like him?” 

He considered this a moment before persisting. “No. I’m positive. I ran into her the day we snuck into Iverson’s office. I didn’t notice at the time because I was too preoccupied. But not long after that, after Keith left, there’s this new student.” He looked her in the eye. “Who else would bother to find out about it?”

“I guess you’re ri-“ blaring alarms interrupted Sam’s sentence. 

“Attention, students. This is not a drill. We are on lockdown! Security situation Zulu Niner. Repeat: all students are to remain in barracks until further notice.” Iverson’s voice boomed over the loud speakers. 

“Is it another ghost attack?” Tucker asked. The two of them had jumped off the bed as soon as the alarm had begun sounding. Grabbing ectoguns that were stored in Sam’s closet. They ran out the door and down the hallway. “We haven’t had one of those here since Val left.” Weaving their way through the long halls of the building. 

“What else would it be?” speaking loudly to be heard over the alarm. “Is the Specter Speeder still parked outside with the invisibility generator on?” Sam asked, turning a corner to dash to a back entrance. 

“It should be. I haven’t been out to check as often as I should. It’s not the same without Danny to help me upgrade it.” Sam nodded in understanding. The two of them used to spend house tinkering around in the vehicle. Danny’s parents had insisted on them bringing it out with them on their first year for protection. No matter what people said about the Fentons, they were always prepared for ghosts. Even out in the middle of nowhere at a space program school. Jack and Maddi would never know how happy they were that they didn’t have to sneak away with it. 

They came barreling out the door and took a sharp left. They were slightly disoriented at the drastic drop in lighting. They had to blink a few times to adjust. Moving forward, Sam pulled out a set of keys and at the same time Tucker took out his phone to disable the invisibility of the speeder. It materialized a few meters away from the large garbage disposers. They climbed in and reactivated the cloaking. 

Sam started the engine and took large laps around the compound. Tucker pointed out an anomaly further south of the building. They sped off the find the threat, but were surprised to find a crash site. Sam landed the vehicle a few hundred yards away from the billowing smoke. A quite wow escaped her lips. 

“This is new…” Tucker pointed out. Reading over the scanners on the dashboard, he could not find any indication that a ghost was present. “I’m not picking up any ectoenergy. This might not be a ghost.” 

Sam looked over at him, confusion on her face. “Then what is this?” 

They had never seen an explosion this size outside of Amity. From where they were parked, they could barely make out the Garrison troops making their way out to the crash site. They sat in silence for a long time, not taking their eyes off the ground. The two of them observed as they set things up around what they could now identify as a craft. Some tents and other monitoring equipment were quickly brought out and people in hazmat suits walked into to ship. Five minutes later, they emerged with something Sam and Tucker could not identify. They could do nothing but stare from far away. 

As time ticked by, fatigue was starting to take over. Agreeing that they should get back inside for some rest, Sam started up the speeder. She turned the vehicle around a drove it back behind the garbage disposer. But before she could take the keys out of the ignition, explosions went off in the distance. Startled by the loud noise, the two of them whipped their heads to look in the direction of the assaulting sound. The speeder was moving before Tucker could say anything. 

He brought the scanners back up as they zoomed over to the large flames billowing up. Sam expertly maneuvered around the Garrison staff, looking for any sign of a threat. But there was nothing. 

“Today is a weird day.” Tucker said as they did another loop around before going back the way they came. Movement on his scanners alerted him of something. “Go that way.” He said hurriedly. Pointing off to the left where he knew the Garrison setup was. Sam complied and glided the Specter Speeder over where Tucker had indicated. 

“What’s over here?” she asked when they got closer. But and answer was not necessary as she saw a group of people running towards a bike. She was impressed they all managed to fit on it. “Is that… Keith?”   
\-----------------------


	3. Chapter 3

Danny woke with a start. His head whipped up at the sound of voices coming near his cell. Forcing himself not to move, he listen to the loud whispering, as though they were trying not to be eavesdropped on by any supervising druids. 

“Did you hear about the prisoner who escaped the ship?” 

“I did. I heard it was the Champion.”

“Haggar must not be happy about that. He was going to be her newest weapon.” 

“Yeah, I wish I could have seen him more then once in the ring.” 

The voices faded down the hall, discussing the Champion’s battles in the tournament. Danny absentmindedly thought about what would have happened if he was in those tournaments. He probably could have escaped more easily. He shook his head to rid those thoughts. No need to dwell on what could have been. He was just grateful that whoever the Champion was, got away from the crazy witch. No one ever deserved what he was going through. At least he could heal himself. 

But now he was thinking that if the Champion could escape, he must find a way to as well. Then his thoughts drifted to his friends. The ones that must be somewhere on this ship. He vaguely wondered if they were in these tournaments as well. Shaking his head again, he refused to think about what that would mean for his friends. He refused to dwell on that line of thought. 

Danny pushed himself up with too much effort for his liking. He leaned against the wall to clear his head. He really had to find a way out of here. 

Staring up at the ceiling of his cell, he began plotting yet again different escape roots. He could always try to drop kick the druids when they drag him back for more experiments. But since he tried that a few times already, they would be ready for him. Another of his favourites is try to go invisible and run away down the halls, but they always seem to catch up. He really needs a concrete floor plan of this forsaken ship. 

He didn’t have time to dwell on it any longer for footsteps were coming down the hall again. He opened his eyes in anticipation in case they were here for him. Luck was on his side as they continued down the hall. Uncoiling his shoulders, Danny slumped a little lower against the wall. 

He really wished the druids hadn’t lined the cell with magic to prevent him form escaping. They didn’t have anything ghost proof per say, but they still had a substance that prevented him from using his powers properly. He had never come across anything like it before. In the Ghost Zone or in his parents’ research. With how long he had been here, he was sill not 100% sure what it was. But he had heard the word “quintessence”. He had figured it was a form of energy. Something similar to what powered the GZ. If it was something similar, then it would be a powerful type of sustaining energy. Danny really didn’t think he wanted to know where they got something like that. It had to be something to the likes of self-sustaining energy of the GZ, but on a larger scale. 

Danny sat in the dark for a long while contemplating the different ways he could attempt to get out even with the “quintessence” blocking his way. Plan after plan running though his mind. He wondered how this Champion had managed to get out in the first place. If he, someone with powers, had trouble getting past the witch, how did some other alien get out. Did they also have powers? They must have been a powerful race if they were considered the Champion to all the Galra. They had to have survived countless battles in the ring after all. How long had he been planning his escape? How long had he even been here to begin with? 

Had they considered saving the other prisoners? To come back and get everyone out? Where they even that considerate? Maybe not. Sam, Tucker and Valerie always did say he had a hero complex. Perhaps he was the only one to think of ever coming back to a place like this to help complete strangers. He just didn’t want anyone to have to go though what he currently was. 

He was glad that the Champion got away nonetheless. As he recalled the guards saying that Haggar would be angry about his escape. Apparently, he was strong enough that he was going to he a weapon. That would have been really bad for everyone. Danny didn’t know what this person was capable of, and he really didn’t want to find out because Haggar managed to bring him to their side. If he was truly as powerful as to earn the title of Champion in a tournament of battles to the death, he was really relieved that he got out of the Galra’s grasp. 

That would have been a disaster for the entire universe. This was also a reason he was fighting so hard to keep himself out of the empires grasp for as long as possible. If he could just prevent them from understanding his ectoplasm, he would be a little bit more ok with being trapped here for a bit. So far, his efforts were working and he planned to keep it that way. He still didn’t want to stay here in case they really did manage to figure something out. 

Danny paused in his thinking again. This time, the footsteps in the hall did stop in front of his cell door. It opened with a swish and in the threshold stood a figure he had not expected. Only the druids ever came to fetch him. They were the only one to ever open his cell. The only one to bring him the scarce food he ever got. Not even the centuries or occasional guard went near his cell. The Witch didn’t trust anyone to. “I don’t want to risk damaging the specimen” she would say. She would always wait for him in her little room where the druids would bring him to her. 

So, to say he was surprised that it wasn’t her druids there for him would be an understatement. In all the time he had been here, she had never come for him personally. But here she was. In all her clocked glory. She did not look pleased. Without warning, shot him with her pink magic. 

A yelp escaped his lips at the sudden bust of pain. She strode up to him and grabbed him by the collar of his rags. Looking him right in the eyes, she growled out: “If I can no longer use the Champion, I will simply have to focus my energy on you.” 

Joy. Danny thought as she dragged him out of the cell and down the hall. He tried to get up but she was moving too quickly for him to get a good footing. Once in her interrogation room, she unceremoniously tossed him on the table top. The thing clamping him down automatically. 

“I will get your power source. You will tell me what you are.” She took a few steps back. Her voice going soft and dangerous. “No matter how long it takes. I have all the time in the universe.”   
\-----------------------

Danny’s breath was shallow and rapid by the time he was finally alone again. The witch had left him on the table, what he assumed was at least a half hour ago, because “The Lord” had summoned her. He was grateful for the break. He was still holding strong against everything she through at him. If he could deal with Skulker’s relentlessness, he could deal with anything else. 

Danny was tired though. He was exhausted, and he wanted to go home. He wanted to be as far away from these aliens as physically possible. He was tried of having to suppress his power instead of using them to escape. Because if he used them too much, she would get what she wanted. And he couldn’t let her win. He couldn’t let her get what she wanted. But he was so tired. He wanted nothing more then to just be done with dealing with her. 

From what he could tell, the universe was already pretty much doomed to an eternity of its own version of Pariah Dark. But he had to keep fighting. Danny had stopped one tyrant, why not another one. If he could only get off this damn ship. If he could just get away to regain his strength, he could come up with a plan to stop the Galra Empire. But there wasn’t much he could do form the confines of the table. 

Another long span of time passed before the door reopened. Danny strained his neck to get a glimpse at who had entered. Slight relief flowed though him as he spotted a few druids striding in. Danny didn’t thing he could deal with Haggar again today.

In a short amount of time, he found himself back in his cell. The dark and dry space a comfort compared to the cold and too bright light of the crazy witch’s special room. 

Danny was, as per usual, shoved violently into the small confines of his current abode. The door shut with a swish and locked into place. Heaving a tired sigh, he curled up and let the white rings wash over his aching body. The slight chill that followed aloud him enough relief to pass out. Hoping to get a decent amount of rest before the witch decided she wanted to see him again.


	4. Chapter 4

*on earth*

Silence filled the Spector Speeder as the two ghost fighters watched their friend, amongst a group of other kids, scramble onto the hover bike. The moment was short lived as Garrison vehicles were quickly closing in on them. Tucker watched as Keith span the bike around and made a mad dash in the opposite direction. “Follow them!” He insisted when Sam had not made a move yet. 

Sam came out of her stupor, quickly catching up to the racing bike. “What is he doing here? What are they all doing out here?” She flipped on the rear cameras to face the perusing cars. “Slow them down.” She instructed. 

Tucker didn’t miss a beat as he brought up the weapons control, aimed, and fired. He covered the sand in green ecto goo, promptly stopping a few cars in the sticky substance. “I don’t know what Keith is doing here. We haven’t seen him in forever. I swear, if that kid is bringing more people into his weird escapades.” Tucker focused on firing more blasts at the oncoming troops. 

“He really doesn’t know how to stay out of trouble, does he.” Sam exhaled in exasperation. She kept the Speeder flying a few paces behind them, still in the camouflage mode. Keith brought the bike to a sharp turn along a ridge. A face caught her attention. “Tucker!”

Startled, he missed a car by a fraction but it still went tumbling away. One less to worry about. “What, woman!” He yelled, not looking away form his monitors. “Can’t you see I’m a little preoccupied.” Sam reached over and smacked him in the arm, attention not leaving the windshield. Tucker looked over at her with a fowl look, his right hand coming up to rub the spot she had hit. 

His expression turned to a curious frown when he saw that she wasn’t even looking at him. He glanced up and out of the window. The vast flat land had turned into one filled with more rock mounds and rough cliffs. They were closer now to the bike then when they started. He glanced at his friend in a questioning way. Why was she getting so close? And why was Keith heading right for a cliff?

Looking around outside, he decided to ask instead: “What am I looking at?”

In a small voice, one he had heard all too often since the disappearance of their other best friend, she whispered: “How?” Her hands trembled minutely on the controls. She turned to her friend, who was stilling looking for what had startled her, and grabbed his arm. Tucker looked down at her hand gently grasping his sleeve. Her grip a loose hold that didn’t match her usual demeanor. They locked eyes. 

Tucker gently grabbed her hand in his. In a gentle voice, he asked: “What’s the matter?” 

Sam looks back out at the horizon but finds that the bike is already speeding away into the canyon. Tucker looked out as well, waiting for her to find her voice. He noted that they had stopped, no longer following their missing friend. 

“That was Shiro.” 

“…” 

“I mean, he looked a little different. But I’m sure that was him.” 

Tucker didn’t know what to say. He stayed silent but raised his eyebrow indicating her that he might not entirely believe what she just said. 

Sam drew in a shaky breath, retraction her hand from his. “He was on the bike.” With complete seriousness, she added: “I think he might have been in the ship that crashed. I think that those other kids somehow found out and went to get him.” 

Tucker absorbed the information slowly turning back to the chasm where the bike was no longer in site. Having disappeared into the horizon. “And he was alive?” A nod. “Do you think...?” Another nod. “And you didn’t see him or even Matt with them?” A shake this time. “Ok. Ok, we need to find them. It’s a little late to follow them. But we can try to track them tomorrow.” 

This was a very important discovery. Is what Sam said was true, and that really was Shiro, then there was a chance that Danny was alive too. There were so many nights spent awake thinking about the possibility that Danny, all of them, were still out there. Tucker had known Danny for years, and he knew his friends was way to stubborn to die. Well, die completely, he thought grimly. If any of them could have survived, as sad as it made Tucker to think about it, it would have been Danny. 

So, if Shiro was here, then that meant there was a great chance that Danny was somewhere out there in space. But know he had proof that it was a real possibility. 

The few cars that had managed to get past Tucker’s defences had turned back a little while ago. The Spector Speeder was floating above the ground for another 20 minutes before either of the occupants came out of their thoughts enough to head back to the compound. The ride over was also in silence. 

When they landed was when they finally spoke. 

“Are you going to crash in my room so that we can leave earlier in the morning?” Sam inquired as they hopped out of the vehicle, locking it. Tucker made an affirmative sound when they reached to door at the back of the building. They were both looking forward to collapsing and leaving the implications of what happened this evening to their well rested brains in the morning.   
\---------------

*In a shack, somewhere in the desert*

“What the hell was that green energy coming out of nowhere!” the guy who had barged in at the crash site, Lance, if Keith remembered correctly, was pacing in his little home. His arms were flailing about nearly knocking over a few things. 

“I don’t know man. But we might not have gotten away if it wasn’t for whatever it was.” The bigger guy, Hunk, he had learned, was looking around nervously. Glancing often at the door as if he was waiting for someone to barge in. 

“Guys. Be quiet. Shiro is still out. Don’t wake him up.” The smallest of the strangers harshly whispered at them. His name was Pidge. Keith thought it was a weird name, but hadn’t commented on it. 

Keith looked over to the couch where Shiro lay in a cold sweat. It had been about an hour since they arrived to his shack, where none of them had been able to sleep due to the adrenaline and shock that they had intercepted a government operation. 

In a whisper, Hunk asked: “Do you think that it could have maybe been some defence system on the pod he got here in?” He was wringing his hands together in nervous agitation. 

Lance shrugged as Pidge answered with a frown. “Not very likely. A typical design for an escape pod doesn’t have that kind of operation. Besides, even if it did, it would not have been able to follow us. It would have stayed with the pod. That thing was firing from like, right above our heads.” He adjusted his classes as he looked up at Hunk. 

“I’m too tired for this.” Hunk sighed slumping down on the ground. Keith didn’t really have any other place to sleep then the couch, so everyone was forced to sleep on the floor. He did at least have extra pillows and blankets so it wasn’t all bad. “My brain hurts.”

Exhaustion was starting to get to all of them. Lance settled beside Hunk and stifled a yawn. “Me too buddy. Let’s get a few hours of shut eye and deal with this in the morning.” Hunk hummed in approval and they were both out in an instant. Pidge sighed and settled down as well. He too was asleep soon after. 

Keith on the other hand, was too agitated to sleep. His mind was going a 100m/h. So many questions and theories running though his head. Where had Shiro been? Where was the rest of the crew? Was Matt and Dr. Holt ok? What about Danny? 

This stopped his inner rambling. What would Sam, Tucker and Valerie think if they saw Shiro. They would be happy of course, but he didn’t know how they would take the fact that Shiro was the one here and not their long-time friend. He had a sudden thought of how right they had been when they had called bullshit on the “piloting error” the Garrison had claimed. Keith’s thoughts continued on to thinking about what Shiro had even been through. A year was a long time to be out in space. 

Looking at him was all it took to make his blood boil. His hair, his scar, his arm, and who knew what else. Keith noted that he was also more built then when he had left. Yes, astronaut training did help with the muscle building, but this was beyond that simple training. His shoulders were wider, chest packed with muscle. From what he could tell, Shiro now had abs. All of this raised even more questions as to what his surrogate-brother went through while out in space presumed dead. 

Keith was fuming at this point. He had to tell Sam and Tucker that he found Shiro. They would want to know that there is a possibility that Danny might still be out there. They deserved that much. He would have to find a way to contact them. He was interrupted in his musings by light hitting his face. Keith realized with despondence that the sun was starting to rise. And so was Shiro.   
\--------------------

Tucker and Sam woke up with the sun the next morning. After a quick trip to the mess hall for breakfast, they started putting a few water bottles and snacks into a backpack. They threw a few spare articles of clothing into the bag as well. Ready to spend a day or two out in the desert. 

It was around 8:45 by the time they left. Classes started in 15 minutes but they were not concerned about attending. Too preoccupied by the prospect of getting answers to care about a few missed classes. They were smart enough to catch up if need be. Besides, they would not be gone longer then a week. At the absolute most. Find Keith, talk to Shiro, and maybe stay a day to just catch up. 

With everything in order, they left Sam’s room and headed for the Spector Speeder. The two friends hopped in the invisible vehicle and headed in the direction of the cliff Keith’s bike had disappeared from. 

“So how are we going to even find them?” Tucker looked over at Sam. He raised an eyebrow at her and she responded by sweeping an arm dramatically at the vast emptiness that sat before them. 

In the daylight, it was so much easier to see how far it actually spread. Last night, is the darkness only eliminated by the moon and stars, they could barely see a few meters in front of their noses. Now that there was nothing inhibiting their view, it was so much more daunting. It stretched on for miles. High mounds of rocks and sand rising up to pepper the landscape with markers. 

She started moving the Speeder forward again. Dropping the invisibility once they reached to bottom of the cliff. There was a glint in Tucker’s eyes that Sam wasn’t too sure she liked. “What, you have a way to track him?” 

His brain was always coming up with wild schemes that more often than not, led to them getting into trouble. “There is one thing I’ve been meaning to try out.” He pulled up some screens and started to fiddle with whatever was on it. “Ok, so check this out!” He turned to show Sam what he was doing, a bright grin gracing his face. 

She looked over from watching the desert passing by quickly to her friend to see he was showing her a radar. 

“Is that the “real world item” finder?” Her attention went back to the moving landscape. “How is that going to help us in the real world?” The skepticism in her voice made very clear with her eye role. 

“But that is the best part.” Tucker went back to fiddling with the screen. “I’ve modified it. Now I can input a certain signal or even frequency and track that.” A smug grin pulling at his lips. “And seeing as I have picked up the residual energy of Keith’s bike, we can find him in no time.” 

“That. Is actually really helpful. Good job Tuck.” She lightly bumped their shoulders together. “So, which way?”   
\---------------------

They reached a small house, that could only really be described as a shack, about two hours latter. It came into view in the distance once they had reached a flatter part of the desert. Sam slowed the Speeder to a halt a few dozen feet away form the shack. The two ghost hunters looked at etch other skeptically. 

“Are you sure this is where the trail ends?” Sam asked, turning the vehicle off. 

“Only one way to find out.” Tucker opened the door and hopped out. Heaving a sigh, the goth followed his lead. 

They climbed up the small step onto the porch. Sparing a glance at one another, Tucker knocked on the door. A minute passed and nothing happened. He knocked again, calling out Keith’s name. Still nothing. Sam leaned over to look around the back of the house. No sign of movement was detected. She shrugged and tried the door handle. The door opened without a problem. 

“He can’t even be bothered to lock his doors…” Sam facepalmed at the same time Tucker sighed in exasperation. 

Pushing the door further in, they stepped over the threshold. The first glance of the interior showed minimalistic furniture. There wasn’t very much in the small space but it radiated “Keith”. The two ghost hunters surveyed the room and found no sign of anyone. No Keith, Shiro or even the other kids that had stowed away with them. 

“It doesn’t look like anyone’s here.” Tucker stage whispered, stepped further into the space. Sam nodded as she followed his lead into the small empty house. “But it does look like Keith’s stuff.” 

“Agreed. Only he can decide to live in a place like this.” 

Tucker turned around to face Sam with a shrug. “So, what now?” 

Sam looked around once more before look back at Tucker. “We wait I guess. We’ll just have to wait for him to come back from wherever he went.” 

Tucker flopped down on the small sofa under the window, placing his feet on the table. “You’re right. We can chill here until then. Maybe he just went to drop the other students off. It is a school day after all.” He reclined back, putting his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. 

“Probably.” Sam agreed. She was about to move over to join him on the couch when a fluttering cloth caught her attention. “Hey Tuck. Check this out.” 

Tucker looked up at his friend moving to the wall opposite to the couch where a sheet was thrown over something on the wall. He hummed as a response when she turned around. Sitting up strait, planting his feet on the ground and leaning his arms on his legs, he motioned for her to proceed. Sam reached up and removed the cloth. 

Underneath, they found a corkboard full of maps, scraps of paper and other such things. All pined with strings connecting one thing to another. Crisscrossing over other papers and stretching across the board. 

“Wow” Tucker gave a low whistle, taking in the scene before him. “This is definitely Keith’s handy work.”

The two looked at it in silence for another 5 minutes. Finally, Sam turned back to her friend with an incredulous look. 

“Is he for real?” She gestured wildly at the pined-up papers. “He gets kicked out of school and he goes hunting for wired hieroglyphics? This is what he decides to do with his time!” Sam brought her hand up to her face and buried it there. Tucker thought that she looked very much defeated. 

“I guess that will have to go on the list of stuff we’re going to be asking him when he gets back from wherever.” 

Sam glanced at him through her fingers. A long-suffering sigh escaped her lips. “Wait till Val hears about this. She is going to laugh really hard, then cry in exasperation.” Her hands swung to her side as she moved to sit on the couch. “I really don’t think he should be aloud to live by himself.” 

Leaning back himself, Tucker said: “No he should not.” 

They sat together for another half hour before a low rumble that they assumed was Keith’s bike coming back to the house was heard. The two ghost hunters looked at one another and slowly got up form the sofa. The two made their way to the door, ready to bombard the kid with question. As they stepped outside however, they were not prepared at all for what they saw. 

Where they were waiting for a bike to come taring its was across the sand, instead a large shadow blocked out the sun. Quickly running out to get a glimpse at what had caused it, they where left speechless as a gigantic blue metal lion did some zigzags across the sky. No sooner had they spotted it, did it disappear into the stratosphere. 

The duo stood staring at the sky for what seemed like forever until Tucker broke the silence. 

“You don’t suppose that that thing would be the same thing that was hinted at in the pictures on Keith’s board, do you?” 

“I don’t know, but I have the strangest feeling he was on whatever that was…” 

“Dose this mean we’re going to follow that thing to space...?” 

They finally looked down at one another, locking eyes. Resignation passing over their faces.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse as to why this took forever to get posted. I was just never in the mood to continue it, and when I was, i had a million other things to do. Anyway, enjoy.

*In the desert* 

As silence reigned over the two ghost hunters, the dust began to settle back down. They had planed on a quick trip, not an expedition to outer space. With a heavy sigh, Tucker began to trudge back over to the Spector Speeder. Sam close behind. 

“I suppose we should go get some supplies before attempting to go after that cat thing.” Tucker rubbed at his face grudgingly. Slinking into the vehicle. 

“Obviously, ghost and a flip dimension of our own world wasn’t enough. There just had to actually be life out there in the universe too. And they had to kidnap our friends on top of that.” Sam yanked the door to the Speeder open. “Can we never catch a brake?” she grumbled as she climbed in, slamming the door back close. “I mean, we face off against ghosts and I have accepted that. Not much we can do about it when our best friend is half ghost.” She jammed the keys in the ignition. “But a bit of slack would be nice!” She turned the vehicle around to head back to the campus. “We already deal with so much shit, I would have like to keep ‘aliens’ off the list of things that have now become our problem.” 

This is going to be a long ride back, Tucker thought bitterly. 

\---------------------

During the drive, Tucker took it upon himself to call Valerie and tell her of the recent events. He took the time to tell her that they now had more solid evidence that Danny may in fact still be alive. She very adamantly told them that they should go and get him right away. But only after he had convinced her that she was better off staying back home. 

Once Sam and Tucker had gotten some provisions, more cloths, all of Tuckers tech and every piece of ghost hunting equipment in their position, they went back to the Speeder. 

They sat there in silence gathering their thoughts. 

“Are we uh, really doing this?” Tucker whispered over to Sam. “Are we actually, really going to go out into space?” 

The events of that morning finally starting to sink in for the both of them. Sam glanced over at her friend.

“What other choice do we have? It’s not like we know when they’ll be back.” She turned back towards the windshield, expression set in determination. “It could be days, weeks, months maybe. Years even.” She sighed and her face fell a bit. “You know how long it took to even see one of the crew again. And he certainly didn’t look to be in the best shape.” 

“I know. You’re right.” He set his jaw and look strait ahead. “We have to go after them.” 

Starting the Speeder back up, Sam brought it back out towards the empty space of the desert. 

\-------------------

They came up to the edge of a high cliff before Sam stopped the vehicle. 

“Ok. If we can get enough momentum by going off this ledge, we can propel ourselves with the modified thrusters.” Tucker spoke as he methodically set up they boosters on the screens in front of him. “All you gotta do, Sam, is pull up at the right time from the nose dive for the maximum velocity.” Sam looked at him with a little skepticism. After a moment of silence, he added: “It’s going to work.” Quietly, “It has too.” 

With one last nod, she reversed as far as she thought she would need. She took a deep breath, glanced at Tucker and saw he was doing the same thing, and put the Speeder in gear. Before the vehicle started moving, Tucker put his hand on her arm in a last dich effort of support and nodded his head in mutual dreadful anticipation. 

Sam slammed on the accelerator.

\--------------------

*In space*

Danny was really getting tired of all these crazy people. He had been planning his escape for the last few weeks. Well, he assumed it was weeks. It was hard to keep track of that kind of thing without the cycle of the sun. Or even a watch. He huffed out a breath that rustled his too long black hair, at the abject thought that what he was missing in that moment was a trivial thing like a watch. 

Danny had really begun to think of a proper way to get out because, in these last few weeks, there had been a lot of commotion going about. People shouting and running. The guard rotation had thinned, which meant that whatever was drawing their attention was important. He had also not seen Haggar in over a week. And that, for Danny, was the biggest indication that something was wrong. 

The crazy witch never went this long without doing something to him. Not that Danny was complaining. He was just suspicious. And rightfully so, it would seem. Footsteps were coming towards him at a quick pace. From his position against the wall, he watched the door open, and for the second time since he came to this god forsaken place, Haggar was the one to great him. 

The difference between the last time she showed up in his cell herself and today, was that Danny found she looked far too smug for his liking. Neither moved for a moment. A heavy beat of silence before she strode forward. Leaning over his form at the back of the cell, she spoke, very evidently pleased with herself. 

“All the others have failed. But I had previously failed to take into account what you could bring to the tests.” She reached down to drag him out the door with her. 

Something in Danny told him that this would be a worst idea then usual. “What are you going on about now, psycho?” he asked as he quickly got to his feet to avoid her. Her lack of tests allowed him ample time to heal. He still had scars, but he could now stand without a limp and breath without the fear of collapsing a lung. 

“My other two beasts have failed. But you have a different energy that is more powerful then what was injected in them.” She did not seem bothered that he had evaded her hand. She seemed to be confidante enough to think she could get him. “I will not fail again.” 

Haggar lunged forward as magic erupted from her hand. Summoning the white rings, Danny rolled out of the way. Danny Phantom stood ready form battel, a grin starched across his face. It had been far too long for his liking, of having to bide his time enough to be ready to defend himself properly. 

Haggar hesitated only a fraction of a second, but that was enough for Danny. Putting on as much speed as he could, he tackled Haggar through the wall of the hallway. They crashed through another three lairs of the ship before stopping in a large T shaped hall junction. Haggar got up, scowling venomously at the hero. 

“You finally decide to show your power.” 

Danny crouched low in a defensive stance, anticipating her next move. Despite the circumstances, Danny was giddy. He had not felt his proper powers for a very long time. Whenever he did transform, it was to heal, then he would have to change back before the witch came back for him. 

He was brought back to the fight when Haggar threw a blast of magic at him. Danny ducked and rolled over to the right hall branch and quickly got up. Aiming quickly, he shot his own ghost ray and managed to clip her arm, singeing her robe until he could see her arm. Danny allowed himself to be happy for all of .3 seconds before he had to move once more to avoid another of her blasts. Danny could tell that she was getting frustrated with her inability to hit him, and Danny was sure as hell not about to let her hit him just to make her feel better. Her magic hurt! Like, a lot. 

Danny noticed that the witch had barely moved from her place in the main hallway of the intersection. A strategy began forming in his mind, but he did not have the necessary time to decide if it was a good plan. Knowing himself the way he did, it most likely was not. ‘Screw it’ he thought. With a new bought of power, Danny zoomed at Haggar and punched her in the face. “Pay back, bitch.” Having not seen the attack coming, the witch took on the pull power of that punch and went sailing into the wall at the other end of the hall. 

Wasting no time, Danny turned invisible and dove through the floor. He was not going to wait and see if she got up. He was more then ready to leave this forsaken ship. Cautiously, he made his way down. Phasing through the floor after making sure so guards were patrolling in case they had some kind of sensor to could detect him even while invisible. Going down another four levels, he came across something useful. 

Descending slowly, Danny landed behind some large crates and took in the view of the massive loading dock. A wicked smirk spread out on his lips as he observed all the fighter jets currently parked along the walls. ‘If I do this right, I can get away with one of their own ships.’ The irony was too sweet to pass up. 

Observing the centuries roaming around the deck, he noted their movement pattern and slowly made his way behind the row of jets on the left wall to get up to the jet right next to the door. Still invisible, Danny slowly approached the ship and floated up to the cockpit. Glancing around to be sure that no one had noticed anything, he pocked his head inside. To his relief, and surprise, it was similar enough to the Garrison setting that he could jump right in after he opened the loading bay hatch. Coming back out, he delicately landed on the ground and turned to the access panel. 

It was guarded by a century. 

As Danny tried to come up with a discrete way to dismantle the guard, a loud noise boomed out across the room. An alarm. Whipping his head up, Danny saw everyone looking over at a large screen above the loading bay station sticking out of the wall further up. A message in a script he could not read was flashing on the screen. He didn’t have to understand it to know that it was about him. 

Immediately, everything went into lockdown. ‘Crap’ Danny thought. ‘This is going to make everything so much harder.’ He needed a new plan. He could always go out into space and pray he finds a suitable planet before he has to change back. Hope that he would make it somewhere fast enough to not suffocate in the vacuum of space. Or he could just grab the ship and ram it out of here. It did not take him long to decide what he was going to do. Phasing through the ship, Danny settled himself in the pilot’s seat. 

“Ok. I can do this.” he whispered to himself. Danny found what he assumed was a start up switch, and flicked it. Around him, nothing happened. He tried another four switches before finding the one he wanted. A smile crept onto his face as the console before him lit up. 

The commotion coming from on the landing strip went quiet for a full 5 seconds while Danny silently congratulated himself for finally getting the ship to start, before it erupted into chaos. It was so loud that Danny could hear it form inside the cockpit. Looking up form the console, he could see a large group of Galra charging towards the ship. He quickly grabbed the controls and rammed them forward. With a lurch, he moved to the center of the deck, hitting a good portion of the Galra who were now shooting at him. 

“I’d like to say “it’s been fun”. But it really hasn’t.” Danny shouted into the comm link to the surrounding Galra. “Later assholes!” 

A grin on his face, he reached over to the lever for the boosters. With a mock salute to the ones who could see him, standing in his way to freedom, he proceeded to turned on the boosters and was now quickly approaching the doors leading him to freedom. Danny let out an ecstatic whoop, throwing his gloved hands in the air. Using the blasters, he shot a hole through the hangar door.

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Haggar stood by the alarm panel in the hallway she had fought the fascinating creature. Her right arm still stung from where he had hit her with his energy. But she was not preoccupied with her injury. What she was focussing on, was the glowing green residue left on her robes and arm. A wicked glimmer in her eyes as her plans came to fruition.


End file.
